So This is Love
by mguinan3
Summary: Catherine reappears in Steve's life with a daughter in tow. A daughter that calls Steve "Daddy". What will this mean for his relationship with Danny? What will Steve do now that he's left with a daughter to care for? Why, turn to his ohana for help, of course!
1. Chapter 1

"You should ask her out for coffee," Steve suggested, though his entire being protested the very idea.

They'd just come from the Bishop Museum where Steve had the extreme displeasure of watching _his_ Danny bumble his way through a flirtation with the very attractive Gabrielle Asano. Truth be told, his feelings towards his partner had been slowly changing over the last few months. Maybe it was coming within a hair's breadth of losing Danny to the sarin poisoning. Or maybe it was the thought of losing Danny to Rachel and New Jersey that'd triggered his realization. Whenever the shift, he was now sure of two things - that the idea of losing Danny to anything or anyone was unacceptable and that these feelings of his were a bit more than platonic. Shaking his head to get rid of his wandering thoughts, he turned his attention back to his conversation with the Jersey native.

"Every single relationship starts with a cup of coffee. Then it's dinner and a movie. Okay? Next thing you know, you're divorced, your're moving to Hawaii so you can see your daughter every other weekend," Danny ranted.

"You need to talk to somebody professionally," Steve teased his partner.

"I do. You. And now the session's over," Danny yelled.

"No, the session's not over Danny. You need to get back on the horse, and a cup of coffee's a good place to start." _This conversation is killing me,_ he thought as he pulled the car over.

"What are we doing?" Danny asked.

"I need to make a stop just wait here," Steve said to Danny as he exited the Camaro. He didn't like taking time away from the case, but Cath had made it sound important. As he made his way down the foliage lined path, he realized he was still fuming over Danny giving Dr. Asano one of the coins they'd found in their victim's bathroom. _Could he be any more obvious about that?_ he groused to himself.

Steve spotted Catherine sitting on the bench as he rounded the corner. He could tell right away that something was wrong. She looked incredibly nervous - almost scared. _What could she possibly be nervous about?_ Steve thought as he approached. "Cath," he greeted warmly. When she looked his way, he saw what she'd been looking at. There was a toddler, about three years old, wandering around in the grass in front of the bench. She had long-ish brown hair and was wearing a pretty pink floral dress. The dress didn't seem to stop her from rolling around on the grass, though.

Steve took a seat next to Catherine and inclined his head towards the toddler. "Who's this?" he asked, wondering if Cath was babysitting for a friend or something. Hearing his voice, the little girl looked over and her whole face lit up. Confused, Steve watched as she started running towards them. When she got close to them, she started chanting, "Dada dada dada!" She ran into his legs and tried to climb up them. Taking pity on the girl and the struck dumb Navy SEAL, Catherine reached over and picked the girl up and set her on her lap.

Catherine took a deep breath. "Steve, I'd like you to meet Jennifer…. Your daughter."


	2. Chapter 2

All Steve could hear was the sound of water rushing through his ears, like he was drowning in white noise. _Your daughter._ He realized he was looking right at the little girl - she'd slipped off Catherine's lap and was toddling around chasing something - butterflies? - her brown hair flowing in the wind. My _daughter._

With a jolt, he was dragged out of his stupor by Catherine waving her hand in front of his face. His eyes snapped to hers. She still looked nervous if a little more concerned. " _My_ daughter?" he hissed at her, not wanting to raise his voice in front of the girl.

"Steve…" Catherine began.

"How old is she, Catherine?" he snapped, interrupting her.

Catherine took a deep breath. "She's three years old, Steve."

"I've had a daughter for three years." It wasn't a question but Catherine seemed to take it as such.

"Yes. I found out I was pregnant after that weekend in Dubai."

"Wh… why didn't you tell me?" Steve asked incredulously, still watching the girl, his daughter, playing in the grass.

"Because you were about to go back to Afghanistan and I… We both had careers, important ones and-"

"My career wasn't more important than being a father!" he exploded. Catherine looked at him, wide eyed. _Well if she was expecting me to take this well, she's an idiot._ Steve got up and paced around the bench.

Catherine must have sensed his need for quiet because she sat back and kept her mouth shut. Steve was grateful for it. As he paced, Steve tried to calm his whirling thoughts. He's a father… And apparently has been for three years. How could she keep this from him and still carry on with him like they'd been doing? It was so dishonest that Steve started feeling a little sick to his stomach. _What am I gonna do?_ he thought as he paced. _Am I ready for this?_

Just then a familiar voice broke through his thoughts. "Yo, babe. What gives?" Steve turned his head to see Danny standing at the end of the same path he'd taken to get to Catherine. He had his arms spread in typical Danno fashion as he stared questioningly at Steve. From where Danny was standing, he still couldn't see Catherine or Jennifer. _What am I gonna tell Danny?_

Something must have shown on Steve's face because Danny's softened as he started to walk towards Steve. "Babe?" _Please stop calling me that and not meaning it..._ Steve growled at himself in frustration. This is not the time for those thoughts.

"Dada dada wook!" Jennifer ran up to Steve waving a flower around. Not able to face Danny or Catherine, Steve crouched down to look at Jenny's flower.

"Wow! That's so pretty, Jen. Not as pretty as you, though" he added, giving the girl a light bop on the nose with his finger, making her giggle.

"I pwity," she repeated.

"Yes you are, princess," Steve responded. At that, she ran off back to her patch of grass in front of Catherine, who was once again staring at Steve with wide eyes. The look on her face was nothing compared to the look on Danny's when he finally turned towards him.

"Steve, what's going on?" Danny asked in a somewhat small voice. Steve hated that voice.

"Danno…"

"Don't 'Danno' me, Steve," Danny snapped, still keeping his voice soft the girl's sake. "You've had a daughter - a family - this whole time and you haven't said a word."

"Danny," Steve began, trying to stay calm. He _needed_ to get through to Danny. He couldn't let him think he didn't trust him. "I didn't know. I swear, I didn't know about Jennifer until five minutes ago." He couldn't let Danny think he'd abandon his kid - not when Danny was the type of man to uproot his entire life to follow his daughter.

Danny looked over and gave Catherine a sharp look, but his gaze softened as he looked at Jennifer who, having sensed the tension in the air, was eyeing the adults curiously. Danny let out a long breath and, seeming to come to a decision, nodded and looked back toward Stave. "What do you need?"

Steve's eyebrows rose at Danny's quick acceptance. He suspected that they would be having a longer conversation later. "Can you take Jennifer and play just over there?" he asked, indicating a patch of grass further away yet still in eyesight, "I'd like to talk to Catherine." _Alone,_ went unsaid.

But Danny got the message. Understanding, he walked over to the little girl and crouched down, putting himself at her level. "Hey Jennifer, I'm your uncle, Danno," he introduced.

"Danno?" she tried.

"That's right," he praised, making the girl smile, "Do you wanna come over there and play with me?"

Unsure of this new person, Jennifer looked towards her parents who gestured for her to go ahead. Once she was further away and out of earshot, Steve turned towards Catherine.

"How could you keep this from me?" he asked, trying to keep his temper in check.

"Steve…" Catherine began.

"No, seriously, Catherine, how could you keep my daughter from me and sleep with me the way we've been for three years?"

"Steve, I'm sorry, I just… I just wasn't ready to give up my career with the Navy and made a choice. Maybe it was a bad one," she shrugged.

"Catherine, your choice took away mine," he replied softly, his hurt coming through in his voice.

Seemingly unmoved, Catherine replied, "I don't know what to say, Steve. I can't change the decision I made when I found out I was pregnant."

Sighing, Steve looked over and watched Danny play with Jenny for a moment. They were doing some sort of clapping activity - it was unclear who was teaching whom. The sight of the two of them brought a smile to his face. "Where's she been?" Steve asked suddenly.

"What?" Catherine asked, surprised by the question.

"Where has she been for three years?" Steve pressed, "I know she hasn't been with you on the Enterprise."

"After she was born, I left her with my parents in Oklahoma."

"You 'left' her?"

"Steve…"

"Did you go back? Did you help?" he asked incredulously.

"I sent money and visited when I could," Catherine admitted.

"Jesus, Catherine."

"What would you have done differently, Steve?" she asked, clearly getting irritated.

"I would've transferred to the reserves sooner and raised my damn daughter," he exclaimed, causing Danny and Jennifer to glance over. Steve noted gratefully that Danny was quick to distract Jennifer again.

"Really, Steve?" Catherine asked disbelievingly.

"Really, Catherine," Steve responded, as sure of his answer as he'd ever been sure of anything. His answer, though, surprised even him. He had always been so dedicated to the Navy that, until his father's murder and the creation of the Five-0 Task Force, he never would have considered leaving full-time active duty.

Steve took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.

"What's changed, Cath?" Steve asked, resigned.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, why are you telling me about her now?" he clarified.

"My parents," she replied simply. "They're retired. They want to travel and that's no life for a toddler." She looked towards Jennifer with a look of fondness on her face.

Steve nodded in agreement. For a moment, Steve let his mind wander towards what his daughter's life must have been like. Robert and Margaret were good people so he was confident she would've been surrounded by love. _She would've been loved with me,_ he thought somewhat bitterly.

He was broken from his thoughts by Catherine's voice. "That leaves you, Steve."

Shaking his head to clear it, he turned towards her. "I'm sorry, what?" he asked.

"My parents can't care for her anymore and I can't either. That leaves you."

Steve thought his chest would explode from the mixture of joy, rage and hope he felt in that moment. I get to keep her? "You're leaving again." It wasn't a question.

"Steve, my career with the Navy is too important. I can't give that up now," she tried to explain.

"But you can give up your daughter?" he shot back.

"Steve, listen…"

"You're practically dropping her on my doorstep, Catherine," Steve interrupted.

Catherine sighed. Deciding that arguing was futile, she pressed on with her goal.

"Will you take her or not, Steve?" she asked bluntly.

"Of course I'll take her, Catherine," he responded immediately. _Oh, Jesus…_

Catherine nodded and stood up, holding a folder out to Steve. "All the legal documents you need." Steve was at a loss, still in a state of shock over what was happening.

"Does he have legal guardianship?" Danny's voice broke through the fog of panic. _Like it always does…_

"Excuse me?" Catherine asked, rounding on Danny who they hadn't noticed walk up with Jennifer on his hip.

"I asked if you're giving him legal guardianship of his daughter," Danny clarified, clearly irritated with Catherine but unwilling to alarm the toddler.

"Of course," Catherine responded, thrusting the folder at Steve, who took it automatically.

"What about a car seat and stuff?" Danny pressed on, taking charge of the situation while Steve momentarily collected himself.

"I have some of her things in my car…" she trailed off, unsure of where Danny was going with this.

"How about you and I go get the stuff while Steve stays here with Jennifer?" Danny asked pointedly.

"Okay…" Catherine responded, prompting Danny to set Jennifer down on the bench next to Steve.

Danny then turned to Steve and, placing a warm hand on his shoulder, close to his neck, murmured, "We'll figure this out, babe. I'll be right back okay?" Steve nodded in response, looking at the little girl next to him as she looked back. Patting his shoulder a few times, Danny steered Catherine away from the daddy-daughter duo.

As Danny walked away with Catherine, Steve and Jennifer studied each other. Steve noted that her blue eyes were a similar shade to his own. In fact, he was surprised to notice that she looked a great deal like him. He couldn't help but grin at that realization.

His happiness was soon replaced with panic, however, as Jennifer's face suddenly softened and she crawled into his lap. Steve tensed immediately. _What am I supposed to do?_ he thought frantically as Jennifer settled herself on his lap, wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. She seemed comfortable enough, though Steve couldn't imagine how she could be.

Steve thought he could physically feel his heart melt when he heard her murmur contentedly, "You my daddy."

Swallowing thickly, Steve brought his arms up around the small girl and held her before responding, "Yeah, kiddo. I'm your daddy."

Seemingly satisfied, Jennifer unwrapped her arms and Steve loosened his grip to allow her to sit on his lap. Steve kept his hand on her back to steady her as she spoke. "Mommy go away 'gan?" she asked.

"Yeah," he responded simply.

"Daddy go away?" she asked quietly.

"No, sweetheart," Steve promised pulling her close, "Daddy won't go away."

Jennifer seemed satisfied with that answer as she nodded and settled back into her father. Steve himself settled back into the bench to await Danny's return.


	3. Chapter 3

Danny walked along with Catherine in a tense silence. He couldn't believe this was happening. He was still reeling from hearing that little girl call his partner 'Dada.' _Steve's a father…_ he thought disbelievingly.

Danny will never forget the punch of emotions he'd felt in that moment - confusion, betrayal, rage and, most troubling of all, jealousy. He was ashamed that his first reaction was that Steve had abandoned his daughter. Quickly dismissing that, Danny's next thought was almost worse - that Steve and Catherine were raising a daughter together and his partner hadn't told him. The jealousy he'd felt at that was overwhelming.

He'd noticed recently that things were changing somewhat between him and Steve. Looks lasted longer than strictly necessary, touches lingered and, at least on his part, thoughts strayed. He'd hoped that these feelings weren't one-sided but that very day Steve had pushed him to ask out Dr. Asano - something he had no desire to do.

 _And now he has a daughter._ To say he was relieved that Steve wasn't with Catherine would be an understatement. But with a newfound daughter and his interest in pushing him at Dr. Asano, Danny no longer held any hope. _I guess the attraction is all on me_ , he thought ruefully as they approached Catherine's SUV.

"My car is just here," he said, the first either of them had spoken since leaving Steve and Jennifer. The pair silently loaded Jennifer's things into the trunk and backseat of the Camero.

As they finished, Catherine pulled an envelope out of her bag and handed it to Danny. "Give this to Steve for me?" she asked.

Danny begrudgingly took the envelope from her. "Why don't you give it to him yourself?"

Catherine just pulled out her car keys in response.

"You're just going to leave without saying goodbye to either of them?" Danny asked accusingly.

"I've already said goodbye to Jennifer," Catherine defended.

"When will you be back?" Danny asked.

"I don't know, Danny," Catherine snapped.

"You know, Catherine, I really had you pegged wrong," Danny responded, folding up the envelope and sticking it in his back pocket.

"Excuse me?" Catherine replied.

"In my wildest dreams I never imagined that you could screw Steve over so thoroughly."

"I don't see how this is any of your business" Catherine replied, turning to walk back towards her car. Danny followed her at a brisk pace.

"No, see, you made it my business when you lied to my partner, kept his kid from him and then dumped said kid on his doorstep only to take off again," Danny replied hotly.

"I did what was best for everyone," Catherine responded.

"No," Danny drawled, "no… you did what was best for you."

"Danny…" Catherine tried once she reached her car.

"You know what happened to his family, Catherine! You know his trust issues and you know his abandonment issues and you still… you _still_ kept his daughter from him!" Catherine at least had the decency to look somewhat ashamed at Danny's words.

"In can't speak for Steve on this but what you did… Catherine, it's unforgivable. He's gonna be an _amazing_ father and Jennifer is gonna grow up with you in and out of her life but it won't matter. Cause we'll all be there… for both of them," Danny said with us much conviction as he'd said anything in his life.

Catherine, not having a response, simply opened up the car door and climbed inside. "Take care of them, Danny," she said quietly.

"I will," he responded.

"Goodbye, Danny." With that, she started the car, backed out and drove off.

Danny just stood there for a few minutes collecting himself. _God, how could she just leave Jen like this_ , he thought angrily. Running his fingers through his hair, Danny tried to calm down. _Calm down, Danno_ , he thought to himself, _You can't go back to Steve and Jen this upset… Steve needs me to be the level headed one, here._

Heaving one last fortifying breath, Danny turned back towards the path that would lead him back to his undoubtedly panicking partner.

When he got back to the clearing, Danny came to an abrupt halt. He had expected to find Steve freaking out when he returned. What he didn't expect was to find the father-daughter duo calmly snuggling on the bench. Danny quietly walked toward the pair. He had no doubt that the Super SEAL could hear him, but he didn't want to disturb Jennifer.

Coming around the bench, Danny's breath caught as he took in the pair. Jennifer was curled up in Steve's lap, seemingly asleep. Steve was looking down at her and stroking her hair. _He's a natural_ , Danny thought with a smile.

Not wanting to break the peace of the moment, Danny simply sat down next to Steve. They sat in silence for a few moments before Steve spoke softly, "She left, right?"

Danny responded just as softly, "Yeah." Steve nodded as if he expected it.

After a few more moments of silence, Steve heaved a sigh that had Danny looking over at him. What he saw made his heart hurt. Steve's eyes were shining with unshed tears as he stroked his sleeping daughter's hair.

Catching Danny looking, Steve swallowed around the lump in his throat and asked, "What the hell do I do, Danno?" _He's so close to breaking down_ , Danny realized.

Not wanting Steve to lose it in front of Jennifer, Danny did the only thing he could think of - he put his hand on the back of Steve's neck, hoping it would act as a sort of grounding force. It must have worked because Steve's breath became steadier and his eyes cleared.

When he was sure they were out of the woods, Danny nudged Steve's neck until he was looking at him. "You can do this, Steven," Danny intoned.

"But, Danno-"

"No 'but, Danno's' about it, babe," Danny interrupted with a smile. "You can do this." Steve took a fortifying breath and nodded.

"And Steve?" Danny went on, bringing Steve's attention back to his face. "I _swear_ to you, you won't be alone in this." At Steve's questioning look, Danny added, "Me, Kono, Chin - we won't let you do this by yourself, babe," Danny promised.

Steve's eyes turned glassy again. "Danno-"

"Hey," Danny interrupted yet again, "I've got your back - Always." Danny was genuinely afraid that Steve would cry at that but he managed to collect himself and nod his understanding.

Satisfied, Danny nodded and settled back into the bench.

Steve instantly missed the contact on the back of his neck when Danny settled back and pulled his hand away.

Clearing his throat to mask any noise of disappointment, Steve broke their silence yet again, "What happens now?"

"Well…" Danny began, "Now I think we take little Jenny here home and then we can figure some things out."

"Things?" Steve asked, at a loss.

"Yes, babe," Danny replied with fond exasperation, "'things'. There's a lot to figure out."

Steve nodded dumbly. _I can do this... I can do this for her,_ Steve thought as he looked down at the sleeping girl in his lap.

"Time to go, babe," Danny said, standing up.

Nodding, Steve took another steadying breath before gathering Jennifer in his arms and standing up. He looked to Danno for some reassurance but he just smiled and turned towards the parking lot. _Must be doing okay_ , Steve thought as he dutifully followed his partner, taking the small victory.

As they reached the car, Jennifer started to stir in his arms. "Dada?" she asked as she sleepily rubbed her eyes with one hand, holding on to Steve's neck with the other.

"Hey, princess," Steve greeted her with a smile.

Looking around she asked, "Where goin?"

Not thinking much about it, Steve answered, "We're taking you home."

Steve and Danny were both taken by surprise when she shouted "No!" and started to push against Steve. Afraid that she might fall, Steve knelt down to the ground, still holding the squirming girl.

Tears were starting to form in her eyes as she babbled, "You said! You said!"

Steve wracked his brain for what he could have said that would be upsetting the toddler so much. At a loss he asked, "Jenny, what did I say?"

"You no go away!" she wailed. Steve instantly realized why Jennifer was crying. _She thinks I'm taking her back to Cath's parents._

"Oh, Jen…" Steve soothed as he gathered his daughter close. Steve glanced up at Danny. He hadn't realized before that his partner was rubbing his shoulder reassuringly as he comforted the crying toddler. Infinitely grateful, Steve could only smile at him.

After a few moments, Jennifer's tears tapered off. Steve kissed her hair before pulling back to look her in the eye. "Jenny, I need you to listen to me real good. Okay, honey?" he asked as he wiped the tears off her face with his thumbs. After a moment, Jennifer nodded her understanding.

"You're gonna live with me from now on." At Jennifer's confused stare, Steve looked up at Danny for help.

Danny smiled before crouching down with them and addressing Jennifer. "Hey munchkin… You're gonna stay with daddy, okay?"

"Forever?" the toddler asked.

Steve smiled. "Yeah, princess. Forever. Home is good because home is with me now." Jennifer's eyes grew wide and hopeful.

"Weally?" she asked.

"Really, really. I'm going to take care of you," Steve responded. As the girl launched herself back into her father's arms, Steve felt Danny's reassuring hand once again squeeze his shoulder.

"And Danno?" Jennifer asked, voice slightly muffled in Steve's neck.

"What about Danno, Jen?" Steve asked, eyes glancing towards his partner.

"Danno take care of me too?" she asked, pulling back with a smile on her face. _I can't ever ask that of him_ , Steve thought with a panic, not daring to meet Danny's eyes.

Steve cast around for something to say before Danny, in true Danny fashion, beat him to it. "Of course I'll take care of you, munchkin," he replied softly, poking her nose with his finger, making the little girl laugh.

Steve's eyes went wide as he looked towards his partner. It seemed like Danny was promising so much with that sentence.

 _He can't mean it…._ Steve thought as he searched Danny's eyes. But all he saw there was Danny's resolute determination. _Determination to what? Be there for me? Give me pointers? Help me raise my daughter?!_

Before Steve could get too far into his hyperventilation, Danny squeezed his shoulder one more time before saying, "We'd better go, babe."

Steve nodded before standing up with Jennifer still in his arms. The little girl was all smiles and giggles as Danny opened the passenger side door and moved the seat up to reveal a carseat already installed for her.

Steve settled Jennifer into the seat before buckling her in - with a lot of pointers from Danny. Once Jennifer was safe in the backseat, Danny replaced the passenger seat before moving to climb in.

Steve stopped him with a hand on his arm, "Danny, wait."

Danny looked to him. "Yeah, babe?"

"Danny, I…" _I don't know what I'm doing… I don't know what role you want to play… I want to tell you that I need you…_.

Steve's tumultuous thoughts must have shown on his face because Danny's face turned serious. "Whatever it is, Steve, we'll figure it out."

"Yeah, but-"

"Steve," Danny cut him off, met his eyes and said, with all seriousness, " _whatever_ it is, we'll figure it out. I promise." _He can't mean…_

"Let's go, Steve. We need to get Jen home. Then the real fun starts," Danny reminded him with a smile.

Steve focused on that smile. He may be foolish for thinking so, but Steve was sure that he could get through anything with Danny smiling at him like that.

Giving his own smile in return, Steve rounded the car and climbed in.


	4. Chapter 4

Steve had learned to drive a stick shift from his cop father on the crowded streets of Honolulu. He'd driven a rundown pickup truck through a minefield in North Korea. He'd navigated a dirt road in Afghanistan while taking fire from the Taliban.

Driving his three year old daughter to his house for the first time is, without a doubt, the most nervous he has ever been behind the wheel. A glance at the speedometer tells him he's going a mere 20 miles per hour. Cars would probably be honking at him if he didn't have the police lights going.

He can't even bring himself to feel foolish. Every instinct he has is screaming at him to protect this girl - emhis girl/em.

Glancing at Danny at a stop light, he expected to find some sort of exasperation or judgement. But all he saw was a calm, judgement free Danny looking idly out the window.

A small noise brought his attention to the back seat. Looking in the rearview mirror, Steve saw Jennifer smiling and giggling to herself. Catching sight of Steve's eyes in the rearview mirror, she grinned and said "Hi, daddy!"

Steve couldn't stop the smile that came if he'd wanted to. "Hey, sweetheart," he replied.

Turning to face forward again, Steve caught sight of Danny now looking at him with an odd look on his face. It was a mix between happiness, awe and… something else. Blushing, Steve turned back to the road just as the light turned green.

As he pulled away from the light, he felt Danny's hand on his thigh - it was a quick pat - meant to be approving or understanding - definitely emnot/em sexual. But it certainly made his blush deepen.

emDon't go there, Steve/em he thought to himself as he made the turn down his street.

A new wave of nervousness overtook Steve as they approached his house. emWhat if she doesn't like it here?/em he worried. No doubt sensing his anxiety, Danny once again reached across the console and grabbed Steve's hand. He gave it a reassuring squeeze before pulling back. Steve told himself that he was just imagining Danny's hand lingering on his own for longer than strictly necessary.

Pulling carefully into the driveway, Steve took a deep, fortifying breath as he put the car in park. Danny allowed him just a moment before giving Steve a reassuring smile and opening his door.

emNo putting this off/em Steve thought as he pulled out his keys and stepped out of the Camero.

As he made his way around the car to the passenger side, Danny was busy getting Jennifer out of her car seat. She reached for Steve as he approached so Danny handed her over with a smile.

"Ready to go home, sweetie?" Steve asked nervously.

"Home!" she exclaimed excitedly.

Smiling, Steve carried Jennifer to the front door. Unlocking it became a bit of a juggling act as he dug his keys out of his pocket. With the door unlocked, he pushed it open with his foot and stepped inside.

Any nervousness Steve had felt about showing his childhood home to his own child disappeared the moment he stepped through the door. As he walked slowly through the living room, kitchen and den, Jennifer's smile remained firmly in place.

That smile was nothing compared to the excited squeal she let loose when Steve stepped out onto the lanai.

"Oh, wow!" she exclaimed with that childlike wonder that Steve was quickly falling in love with. He could only smile in response.

"Mine?" Jennifer asked sweetly, pointing towards the ocean.

"Ours," Steve corrected gently. Sitting down in one of the deck chairs, Steve situated Jennifer so that she was looking directly at him. "Do you know what a promise is, Jen?" Steve asked.

Jennifer nodded solemnly.

"You have to promise to never go into the water without me, okay?"

"I pwomise, Daddy," Jennifer answered with as much seriousness a three year old could muster.

"Already laying down the law, I see," Danny joked, stepping outside to join them.

"Yeah, I just-"

"No need to explain, babe," Danny interrupted kindly, bopping Jennifer on the nose as he said it.

"Where'd you go?" Steve asked as Danny pulled another deck chair over to join them.

"Got a call from Chin," Danny shrugged.

Steve waited for Danny to elaborate. When he didn't, Steve pressed, "And what'd he say?"

Danny shrugged again. "Don't worry about it," he responded, nodding his head towards Jennifer who was sitting in her father's lap, happily taking in her surroundings.

Understanding that they wouldn't discuss case-related topics around Jennifer, Steve nodded and settled back into his chair. The two adults took a few moments to just enjoy the peace, knowing that it very well could be short lived.

Sure enough, their quiet was iinterrupted when Jennifer spoke, "Daddy, I sweepy…" She yawned, rubbing her eyes.

Steve was instantly thrown into panic mode. emWhat the hell do I do with a tired toddler?! Or a hungry one?! Or dirty?! Or-/em

"You've had a long day, haven't you, munchkin?" Danny asked, leaning over to look at Jennifer. She merely nodded in response.

Turning to address Steve, Danny murmured, "How about you lay her down in the middle of your bed and we can bring all her stuff in?"

Like his daughter, Steve merely nodded in response. He stood up, carrying an already dozing Jennifer in his arms. To his surprise, Danny followed him all the way upstairs and leaned in the doorway as Steve laid Jennifer down.

He tucked her in and, ignoring any indecision, leaned in and kissed her forehead softly.

"Sleep well, sweetheart," Steve murmured.

"'Kay, daddy," she responded sleepily.

Backing out of the room, Steve turned to face Danny - their first moment alone since Jennifer was dropped into his life - emHad it only been a few hours ago?/em

Before he could say anything, Danny chimed in. Holding his hands up in a placating manner, he spoke quietly, "I know you want to freak out… But can you hold off until tonight once we've gotten some stuff together for Jen and made a plan?"

emA plan? Plans are good/em, Steve thought as he nodded dumbly.

Danny smiled in response. "Okay, how about we go get her stuff out of the car and take stock?"

"Sounds good," Steve replied, finally finding his voice to talk to Danny.

Danny grinned at him and his knees went weak at the sight. Steve shook his head at himself and followed Danny down to the car.

Danny needed Steve to hold it together for a few more hours. He had no doubt that his partner was heading for a meltdown but there were things that needed to get done first.

The pair worked silently as they unloaded the Camero, piling everything in the living room. Danny had to admit, it didn't look like much and Catherine hadn't said anything about there being more coming later. Sighing quietly, he started unpacking boxes, Steve silently following his lead.

Steve hadn't said much since Catherine had left. emNot that I blame him,/em Danny thought with a sigh, emHe definitely has a lot on his mind./em

Danny pulled a few more piles of clothes out of the box he was working on when he noticed that Steve wasn't moving. Looking over at him, Danny saw him studying some sort of stuffed animal in his hands with an odd look on his face. Moving closer, Danny smiled when he realized what it was - a seal.

"Well… if there was any doubt that she's yours, it's gone now," Danny joked, nudging Steve with his shoulder.

"You're getting too much enjoyment out of this," Steve grumbled, but Danny didn't miss the pleased little smile he had on his face.

When everything was laid out on the couch, the pair stood back to take it in. Just as Danny had thought, it wasn't much - a fair bit of clothing, some toys, what looked to be photo albums, some books and some bedding - but no bed. Frowning, Danny turned towards his partner.

"I'm new to this," Stave murmured, "but I'm pretty sure there's supposed to be more than that."

"Steve-"

"What the hell do I do, Danno?" Steve interrupted, sounding close to desperate. He began to pace angrily in front of the couch.

"You calm down, Steven" Danny responded calmly, sitting down on the couch and watching his partner.

Steve stopped in his tracks, tilted his head back and took a deep, fortifying breath.

"That's it, babe," Danny said encouragingly, "just breathe for me."

When Steve looked back at him in that moment, Danny was surprised to see that his partner was close to crying. But, in true Steve fashion, he reigned it in and regained his composure.

Steve moved to sit down next to Danny, moving some clothing aside to make room for himself. Once seated, he put his head in his hands and murmured, "She needs more than this, Danny. She emdeserves/em more than this."

Danny knew that Steve was talking about more than just the material things strewn around them.

Danny reached over and patted his leg. "I know, babe," he murmured, "We'll fix this."

Steve looked over at Danny. "How, Danny?" Steve asked.

"By remaining calm," Danny said again. "Use that Navy brain of yours and come up with a plan."

Steve smiled. "You said Navy," he pointed out with a soft smile.

"Yeah, yeah," Danny chuckled. "Don't get used to it."

"Okay, Danno," Steve replied with a smile. He looked off towards the stairs, then. Danny didn't say anything. He knew Steve was thinking - planning.

After a few minutes, he quietly spoke, "I could move some of the stuff out of Mary's room," Steve mused, almost to himself. "Maybe give it a fresh coat of paint - really make the room Jen's." Steve looked towards Danny then, as if for approval.

"Sounds good, babe," he replied with a smile.

"We could go get some furniture for Jen," Steve suggested. Danny's heart leapt at his use of 'we.'

"Chin and I can help you move Mary's stuff out. We'll all help, Steve," Danny assured him.

Steve nodded in response. "I guess Jen can stay with me until the room is done," Steve murmured.

"When do you want to tell the rest of the gang about Jenny?" Danny asked as they lapsed into silence.

Steve sighed heavily. "Soon, I guess," he responded. "Maybe after we solve Blake Spencer's murder," he suggested.

"Chin called," Danny reminded him.

"What'd he say?" Steve asked, leaning back into the couch and closing his eyes.

"They found Blake's body. Max said there's traces of helium in the lung tissue."

Steve nodded absently. "Mixed gas dive," he murmured.

Danny smiled. "Always a know it all," Danny said softly. emGod he's beautiful/em, Danny thought as he watched Steve's face relax into sleep.

Suddenly Danny's phone began ringing. He quickly silenced it as he went into the kitchen to answer it.

"Detective Williams," he answered.

"Detective, this is Gabrielle Asano from the Bishop Museum."

Danny glanced into the living room where Steve was still dozing. "Uh… hi, Dr Asano. Um… what can I do for you?"

"I'm calling to let you know that I conducted some tests on the coin you left me. I'm afraid that they're fake," she said.

"Fake?" Danny repeated.

"I'm afraid so," she answered. "Will you be coming back to pick up the coin as evidence or I could bring it to you…" she trailed off expectantly.

"Oh, uh… that's not necessary, Dr. Asano," Danny replied hastily, trying to end this conversation as quickly as possible. "I'll send a uniformed cop…"

"Oh," she answered, "I was hoping I'd get to see you again," she tried.

"Look, Dr. Assano, I'm flattered but I'm not looking for a relationship right now," he responded politely.

"Oh… okay," she responded, clearly disappointed. "Well," she added, "Call me if you change your mind."

"Thanks for your help, Dr. Asano," Danny responded.

"Gabby," she corrected coyly.

"Yes, uh, Gabby. Thanks, Gabby," he responded before hanging up. He heaved a relieved sigh as he looked out the window over the sink. emI really/em don't emwant a relationship right now/em, he thought as he watched the waves, emNot unless that relationship is with a certain Navy SEAL/em, he thought wistfully.

"Who was that, Danno?" came Steve's voice from the doorway.

Danny jumped at the unexpected noise. "Jesus Christ, Steve!" he hissed, mindful of the toddler sleeping upstairs, "What's the matter with you?! Could you make a noise or something next time, super ninja?" he added with a laugh, trying to calm his racing heart.

Steve didn't laugh, though. "Who was on the phone, Danno?" he asked again, trying to smile casually. But Danny saw right through the smile, even if he didn't know the reasoning.

"Dr. Asano from the Bishop Museum," Danny replied simply, "Apparently the coins are fake," he added, shooting a quick text off to Chin to fill him in.

"Oh…" Steve responded oddly, causing Danny to look up from his phone, "Was that all she said?" Steve asked, shuffling his feet and not meeting Danny's eyes.

"Uh, no, actually. She kinda asked me out," Danny replied.

Danny was almost sure that he saw a look of hurt flash across Steve's face at that. emWhy would he be upset about that?/em Danny wondered. emHe was the one suggesting we go out./em

As soon as the look came, it was gone, replaced by one of feigned happiness.

"That's great, buddy!" Steve exclaimed. "When are you going out?" Steve started to move around the kitchen aimlessly.

"We're not," Danny answered, stopping Steve in his tracks.

"What?" Steve asked, turning towards Danny.

"We're not going out, babe," Danny repeated.

"Why not?" Steve asked incredulously.

Danny couldn't help but laugh at that. "Because I don't want to," he repeated, still chuckling.

Steve looked completely lost. "Why not?" he asked again.

Danny shrugged and looked away from his partner. "Because I'm not interested in emher/em," he replied, looking at the floor.

"Danny, what-"

"Daddy!" Jennifer's yell interrupted whatever it was that Steve was going to say. With a regretful look at Danny, Steve turned and bounded up the stairs towards his daughter.

Danny followed behind Steve, ready to help his friend if he needed it. Danny's heart clenched at the sight that greeted him when he entered Steve's bedroom. Jennifer was crying as Steve held her to his chest and rocked her.

"Shh…, sweetie," he murmured to her, "You're okay."

"I… th-thinked you go-ed em(hiccup)/em away!" she wailed.

"No way, pretty girl," he responded, sweeping her hair away from her face and kissing her head. "I'm right here," he murmured.

Smiling, Danny backed out of the room to give the duo some privacy. emI wonder when she last ate,/em Danny thought to himself as he made his way downstairs. Going into the kitchen, he didn't find much that a three year old could eat. Settling on apples and peanut butter, Danny started to cut up some apples.

Before long, he heard steps on the stairs. Just as he was setting the snack on the island, Steve walked into the kitchen with Jennifer on his hip.

"See," he exclaimed with a smile, "Here he is!"

Danny was momentarily confused until Jennifer grinned and reached for him. Steve quickly moved his hand to catch her before she pitched forward. Smiling at Steve's panicked expression, Danny took her into his arms and lifted her above his head - much to Jennifer's delight. "Hey, munchkin," he greeted the girl, "are you hungry?" he asked, moving towards the island.

"Hungry!" Jennifer repeated happily hugging her arms around Danny's neck. Danny could hear Steve chuckle behind him.

Danny sat down at the counter and put Jennifer on his lap, pulling the plate of apple slices closer. As Danny made pieces small enough for Jennifer to eat, Steve moved to the coffee machine and set about making a pot.

"You want some, Danny?" Steve asked as he filled the pot.

"Yeah, coffee sounds good," Danny replied as he watched Jennifer grab apples off the plate.

"Me too!" Jennifer exclaimed as she reached for another slice.

"Oh, I don't think so, young lady," Steve replied from his spot across the island, smiling at the pair. emAlready such a dad/em Danny thought with a chuckle.

By the time Steve made his way over with the coffees, Jennifer had polished off the plate.

"You really were hungry, weren't you?" Danny asked Jennifer over her head.

"Yep!" she answered, smearing peanut butter on Danny's face over her shoulder.

"Hey!" Danny exclaimed with a laugh. Jennifer merely squealed happily in response. Shaking his head at the toddler, Danny stood up and walked over to Steve to deposit Jennifer on his lap. Steve looked at peanut butter hands with a mildly panicked look on his face but took her anway as Danny moved to the skink.

"Danny, what-" Whatever he was going to say was interrupted by a moist rag getting thrown in his face. Jennifer's laughter filled the room.

"Wipe her hands and face," Danny ordered kindly.

Steve took the rag off his head and grinned at his partner. Danny's heart pounded at the sight and he had to grin back. The whole afternoon felt very… domestic for Danny. emDon't get used to it,/em he scolded himself as he wiped peanut butter off of his face.

Thankfully, his maudlin thoughts were interrupted by Steve's cellphone ringing.

Danny turned to see Steve check the ID before answering, "Hey, Chin."

Danny walked forward and took a now clean Jennifer back and went into the living room so that Steve could talk to Chin in peace.

Steve came in right behind them, though, with a worried look on his face.

"Danny, you've gotta go," Steve said urgently, reaching for Jennifer. Danny's heart dropped as he handed her over. Had he done something wrong?

"Steve, I-"

"No!" Steve interrupted. He must have read Danny's face like a book. "I emwant/em you to stay. I do. But Chin just called. Remo Julian lied about the tracker on Blake's boat being broken. They're moving on his office and need backup," Steve explained hastily.

"Got it," Danny responded, snapping into work mode as he grabbed his gun and keys off the end table. emWe need to lock these up now/em he thought idly as he headed for the door.

Just as he was reaching for the door he heard a tearful "Unca Danno!" behind him. Turning, he saw Jennifer struggling to get out of Steve's arms while Steve struggled to hang on.

Not wanting her to get hurt, Danny hurried back to his partner. "Hey, hey, munchkin, it's okay," he soothed, rubbing her back and situating the toddler better in Steve's arms. "I'm just going to work," he told her, "I'll be back tonight," he added, looking up at Steve for confirmation.

As his eyes locked with Steve's, he became acutely aware of how close together they were standing. He hadn't thought twice about invading the SEAL's personal space at the sight of the teetering toddler. But now he could feel Steve's body heat radiating up the right side of his body.

Thankfully, before he could do something embarrassing like snuggle in closer, the moment was interrupted by a loud hiccup from Jennifer, bringing them both back to the moment.

Steve cleared his throat. "Yeah, Jen," he added, "Danny will come by tonight," he confirmed.

Danny nodded as he stepped a safe distance away. "I'll bring dinner," he added on his way back towards the door.

"Bye, Danno," Jennifer murmured with a truly pathetic wave, burying herself in her father's chest.

"See ya later, munchkin," he returned. With one last glance towards the pair, Danny turned out the door and headed to his Camero. emTime to go to work/em.

As the door closed behind Danny, Steve gave himself a moment to internally panic. He was alone with Jennifer for the first time. emWhat the hell do I do?/em he wondered frantically. emYou stay calm, Steven,/em Danny's voice echoed in his head. Taking a deep breath, Steve looked down at the toddler still nestled into his chest.

"You okay, sweetheart?" he asked his demure daughter.

"Miss Danno," she mumbled in response.

"Yeah…." he sighed, rubbing small circles on her back as she leaned into him, "Me too."

Casting around for something to do with a three year old, Steve's eyes fell on the small pile of toys laying on the couch. "How about we play a little bit, huh?" he asked Jennifer, bouncing her a bit as he walked towards the toys.

"Pway?" she asked as if she didn't know the word.

"Yes, silly!" he replied, lifting her up and shaking her gently. Steve instantly decided that getting Jennifer to laugh when she's sad was one of his favorite things ever.

He settled Jennifer on the floor as he grabbed the toys and placed them on the floor in front of her. She immediately reached for the stuffed seal and pulled it close to her. This toy was obviously a source of comfort.

"Who's this, sweetie?" Steve asked as he sat on the floor across from her, the pile of toys in between them.

"Steve!" she exclaimed, waving him around as if showing him off to the world.

"What?" emHer stuffed animal is named Steve?/em he wondered as Jennifer got up and made her way over to him, carrying the seal.

"Daddy, dis is Steve. Steve, dis is Daddy," she introduced them. Steve couldn't help but grin at his little girl.

"You named your stuffed animal Steve?" he asked, the smile evident in his voice.

"Yep!" she declared, plopping down next to him and reaching for another doll - a small stuffed turtle. "I named him after Daddy cause Daddy is a SEAL and Daddy couldn't be with me yet. But now Daddy is with me AND Steve is with me!" she rambled as she tried handing the turtle to Steve.

Steve could feel his eyes grow misty at her so casually mentioning his absence from her life. When Steve didn't take the turtle right away, Jennifer looked up and tried handing it to him again. "Pway?" she asked in a tone so innocent that it melted Steve's heart all over again.

"Yeah, sweetie," he responded, voice rough with emotion. "Let's play."

The sun was already going down by the time Danny pulled up in front of the McGarrett house. Grabbing the grocery bags he'd brought with him out of the back seat, he exited the Camaro and made his way up the front walk to the door. Not bothering with knocking, he stepped inside braced for any sort of mayhem the SEAL and his daughter could have gotten into in the few hours Danny had been gone.

To his surprise, however, the living room didn't seem any worse for wear. There were some toys strewn around the floor, making Danny smile. emI guess Steve and Jenny played for a bit/em he deduced, making his way towards the kitchen where he heard Steve talking to Jennifer. The sight that greeted him had his heart melting.

Steve was seated at the kitchen island with Jennifer in his lap. They were polishing off a plate of food while together - Jennifer was doing the lion's share of the eating but she seemed to insist on sharing with Steve, who obligingly opened his mouth to be fed little pieces of chicken.

"Couldn't wait for me, huh?" Danny asked, announcing his presence to Jennifer. He had no doubt that Steve had heard him come in the front door.

"Danno!" she shrieked directly into Steve's ear, causing Steve to wince and Danny to laugh.

"Hey, munchkin," Danny greeted, making his way into the kitchen and putting his bags on the counter next to the refrigerator. He started putting groceries away as Steve stood up and put Jennifer on the ground. As she ran and collided with Danny's legs, Steve stepped up to him.

"I'm sorry we didn't wait for you, Danny," he apologized. "Jen was hungry and I-"

"Steve, stop," Danny interrupted, bending to pick up Jennifer and give her a hug hello. "Don't ever apologize for taking care of your daughter, okay? You didn't know when I'd be here and she was hungry. No biggie," he added with a shrug.

Steve nodded in response before moving towards the bags to finish unloading the groceries while Danny talked with Jennifer.

"Danno, you catch the bad guy?" Jennifer asked as Danny took Steve's seat at the counter, nudging the plate towards Jennifer in hopes she'd finish the food.

Danny looked over at Steve in surprise at Jennifer's question. Steve caught Danny's look and just shrugged before going back to putting away the groceries. "She asked what our job is so I told her," he responded.

"Yeah, munchkin," Danny responded, turning back to Jennifer. "We caught the bad guy."

"He go to jail?" she asked innocently.

Danny chuckled. "Yeah, he's going to jail."

The trio lapsed into silence as Steve finished with the groceries and Danny continued to help Jennifer with her food.

As Steve made his way over to the island and sat across from Danny and Jennifer, Danny broke the silence. "So I invited the gang over here tomorrow," he admitted.

Steve looked at him sharply. "You what?" he asked.

"I invited everyone over tomorrow," he said again.

"Danny-"

"You need help, Steve," Danny interrupted. "And they can help you. But not if they don't know."

Steve sighed heavily in resignation. He obviously knew Danny was right. "Alright, Danno," he finally acquiesced. "I trust you."

Steve then turned his attention to Jennifer. "Hey, kiddo, you're gonna meet some new people tomorrow. How's that sound?" he asked.

Jennifer looked a little skeptical. "What people?" she asked sweetly.

"They work with me and Danno," Steve replied. "They're like our family really."

Jennifer smiled at that. "Okay!" she exclaimed happily, obviously quite excited to meet anyone that Danny and Steve considered family.

Danny and Steve smiled at each other over Jennifer's head for a moment. She was just too adorable. Suddenly, though, the adorable toddler let out a mighty yawn.

"Uh, oh," Danny said, glancing at the clock on the stove, "I think it's someone's bedtime."

"Noooo," Jennifer whined, wanting to stay up with Danny and Steve.

"Sorry, Jen," Steve said, coming around to take her out of Danny's arms, "But Danno's right. You've had a long day and you didn't nap for very long."

"Daddy tuck me in?" she asked quietly, already slipping into slumber in Steve's arms.

"Of course, sweetie," Steve replied, making his way out of the kitchen.

"Don't forget Steve," she reminded him as they neared the door.

Danny was confused for a moment before he saw Steve reach for the stuffed seal on the counter. Realization dawned and Danny couldn't help but laugh. Steve responded with a scowl in his direction as he exited the kitchen and made his way up the stairs to get Jennifer ready for bed.

Since it was only eight o'clock and he hadn't had dinner yet, Danny pulled out two of the steaks he'd brought with him and made his way out to the lanai. He knew Steve was going to need to decompress after the day he'd had and a nice steak on the grill was part of Danny's plan to help him do that. He was almost done with the steaks by the time Steve made his way out towards him, carrying two beers from the kitchen, offering one to Danny.

Taking the beer, Danny asked, "She go down okay?"

Steve chuckled. "Not really," he responded with a smile. "Apparently bedtime involves bathtime."

Danny winced. He'd forgotten about baths and could now clearly see the water stains down Steve's front. "Sorry, babe. I would've helped," he offered, taking the steaks off the grill and plating them.

"No, no it was… It was a learning experience. Jennifer talked me through it, actually."

"Other than that?"

"Other than that it was fine. There was some debate over pajamas. We finally landed on the dolphin ones. And then she picked about fifteen stories for me to read to her. She was out like a light after the third one," he finished with a smile. emFatherhood looks good on him/em Danny thought, taking a swig of his beer as he sat down at the table, Steve following suit.

It didn't surprise Danny that they ate in silence. Steve had had an unbelievable day. Danny was a little surprised, though, that Steve's smile seemed to slide off his face as he ate his steak. He'd come out to the lanai in a good mood, if a little damp. Now he looked… sad?

"What's up, babe?" Danny asked quietly, pushing away his empty plate and leaning back in his seat.

Steve was quiet for a moment longer before he pushed his own plate away from him. "I have a daughter, Danny," he murmured.

Danny nodded. "Yeah, babe. You do," he answered.

"She has a stuffed seal named Steve," he added. Danny couldn't help but smile at that.

"She uh… She named it that because I'm a SEAL. I'm a SEAL and I couldn't be there with her yet so she… so she named her stuffed animal after me," Steve choked out.

"Steve…" Danny murmured, getting up and moving towards his partner.

"There's an album of pictures in there, Danny!," Steve hissed, obviously not wanting to shout and risk waking Jennifer. "There's an album full of pictures of Jen as a baby and I can't… I can't look at it cause I wasn't there, Danny. I wasn't there and I should've been!"

"Steve, you didn't know," Danny responded, sitting in the chair right next to Steve. "You emwould have/em been there if you'd known."

"Jesus, Danny, I just… I look at you and all you've done to be with Gracie and I'm emso/em pissed cause I didn't get that chance. Catherine took that away from me and I can't…." Steve bowed his head at that. Danny reached over and rubbed his hand over the back of Steve's neck, hoping to soothe him somewhat. But he didn't say anything.

"I missed her birth," Steve whispered, tears evident in his voice. When he raised his head and looked at Danny, they were evident on his face as well, slowly streaming down his face. "Danny I wasn't there when she was born or when she took her first steps or for her first… her first words."

Steve looked down again and tried to cover his pain with a hand over his eyes. But his shaking shoulders gave away his anguish. As his shoulders shook and his quiet sobs filled the silence, Danny could do nothing but pull his partner in close and let him cry. Steve wrapped his arms around Danny as he cried - and Danny let him. Danny did his best to soothe his friend - murmuring that it'd be okay, rubbing his back, even cradling his head - to which Steve responded by further burrowing his face in Danny's neck.

After a few minutes, Steve's tears subsided and his breathing returned to a more normal rhythm. But they didn't let go of each other yet. They stayed wrapped around each other for a few moments more. Finally, and oh so reluctantly, Danny pulled away just far enough so that he could see Steve's face - red and tear-stained.

"I'm emso/em sorry that you missed those things, Steve. emSo/em sorry," Danny started, speaking softly to the still upset SEAL. "But you've got her now. She's yours and you'll never let that go," he assured him. Danny, feeling bold, used his thumbs to wipe a few errant tears off of Steve's face. Steve finally met his eyes at that. But his eyes weren't angry or disgusted. They were just… Steve.

"You'll never miss anything again, Steve," Danny promised. "You'll be there for her first swim. You'll hear her first swear word. You'll help mend her first broken heart. You'll be there for emeverything/em, Steve. I'll make sure of it."

"Danny…." Steve rasped. But he didn't say anything more. Danny didn't really think he needed to.

"We'll get through this, Steve," Danny promised quietly. Steve merely nodded in response before pulling back to slouch down in his chair.

"How about I go get that album?" Danny suggested after a moment of silence. "I think it'll make you feel better to see those pictures."

Steve looked unsure at first but finally nodded his head, sitting up straighter.

Danny nodded in response and went inside to grab the album and some fresh beers. Coming back out onto the lanai he noticed that their chairs were significantly closer together than when he'd left. Deciding not to say anything about it, Danny sat down and handed Steve his beer, setting the album on the table between them.

"Okay," Danny said, reaching for the album, "you ready?"

Steve looked at Danny and seemed to study his face, looking for something. Whatever he was looking for he must have found because, after a moment, he smiled and reached for the album himself. As their hands brushed over the cover, Steve responded softly, "I'm ready."


	5. Chapter 5

Steve was used to waking up suddenly. It wasn't unusual for his phone to wake him in the middle of the night - dispatch calling to tell him of another lost life. Even more common were the nightmares. It was impossible to see what Steve's seen and done what Steve's done and get a good night's sleep every night. Either way, he was used to waking up suddenly.

What he wasn't used to, however, were tiny feet in his face at five o'clock in the morning. Steve had been woken up by a tiny kick to the face just a few minutes ago. However, rather than wake up violently as you'd expect from a Navy SEAL stricken in the face, he merely popped an eye open to find ten twitching little toes lying next to his head. Smiling, Steve scooted his head slightly to his right, out of range of Jennifer's feet.

Sitting up slightly, he looked down at his daughter sprawled diagonally across the bed, her feet in his face and her head pointed towards the opposite corner of the bed, drooling slightly and still clutching onto her precious stuffed seal.

Not wanting a repeat of yesterday's nap incident, Steve decided to wait for Jennifer to wake up before getting out of bed. Laying back down carefully, Steve stared at the ceiling as he contemplated his situation. emI have a daughter,/em he thought to himself. Rather than feeling panicked at the thought, however, Steve felt oddly content. He was still scared as hell and was incredibly out of his depth, but he felt a sense of calm this morning that he hadn't felt yesterday.

Steve's mind went back to the previous night when he'd broken down all over Danny. Maybe that was the reason for his calmer attitude this morning - he'd let everything out last night over beers and baby pictures. Danny had been nothing but patient with him as he struggled to look at the photos of a baby Jennifer. He would go from smiling to tearful with the turn of a page. He hadn't been through such an emotional rollercoaster since losing Freddie and his father so close together the previous year.

Shaking his head to rid himself of those maudlin thoughts, Steve steered his mind towards more practical things - like introducing his team to Jennifer later this afternoon. It wasn't as if he was scared to tell them, but telling them made this whole fatherhood thing real. He was a dad. And everyone would know it. Smiling at the thought, Steve glanced over at Jennifer who was starting to stir. Sitting up once more, he leaned against the headboard as Jennifer's head came up off the bed and she looked at him with bleary eyes.

"Daddy?" she asked sleepily, rubbing her eye absently.

"Hey, sweetheart," Steve answered, still a little unsure of how to act around a three year old. But Jennifer didn't seem to notice as she crawled across the bed and leaned her head on Steve's chest.

"Daddy, I hungry," she murmured, almost back to sleep.

"How about we get some breakfast?" he asked, pulling the covers off his legs and swinging them over the edge of the bed. Jennifer didn't seem interested in walking so Steve carried her out of the bedroom and down towards the kitchen.

As he entered the kitchen, Steve was momentarily at a loss for what to do with Jennifer while he made breakfast. He couldn't sit her at the table, could he? She might fall. emThis was so much easier with Danny around,/em he thought, casting about for answers. As if an answer to his prayers, Steve heard the front door open. Sure enough, as he peeked his head out of the kitchen, there was his Danno, toeing off his shoes and dumping his keys on the table next to the door as if he lived here.

"Hey, Danno," Steve greeted with a smile.

"Unca Danno!" Jennifer squealed, wide awake now that Danny was here. emI see how it is/em he thought without malice. He loved the fact that Jennifer cared so much about Danny. It would make integrating Jennifer into his life that much easier.

"Oh, good, you're up," Danny greeted the pair with a smile as he made his way over. Ruffling Jennifer's hair, he moved past them and into the kitchen and started pulling pans out of the cupboard.

"Um… Danny?," Steve started, moving over to the counter and holding Jennifer in his lap.

"Yeah?" Danny asked as he started rifling around in the refrigerator for something.

"What are you doing here at six o'clock in the morning?"

Steve could swear that he saw Danny blush at the question. "Oh… Um. Well, Grace was always an early riser when she was Jen's age so I just thought…" he trailed off, not finishing his thought. But Steve understood. Danny just wanted to help. Steve had been a father for less than a day. Of course he was going to need all the help he could get.

"It's good you're here," Steve supplied when Danny lapsed into silence.

"It is?" Danny asked, pulling eggs out of the refrigerator in an attempt to keep his hands busy.

"Yeah," Steve answered. "Because I had no idea what to do with Jenny while I made breakfast," he admitted sheepishly.

Danny chuckled. "Well, we'll get a booster seat when we're out today. Once we get that, she'll be fine at the table. We'll set her up at the table with some coloring books or something," Danny suggested as he cracked eggs into the skillet.

"Colors!" Jennifer exclaimed right into Steve's ear. Wincing slightly, Steve turned his face towards his daughter.

"Watch the volume when I'm so close, Jen," he chastised lightly.

"Sorry, Daddy," Jennifer returned in good humor. Steve kissed the top of her head in response.

"So what time is everyone getting here?" Steve asked.

"Lunch time," Danny responded, his back to the pair at the counter. "I figured we could eat some breakfast then go out and get some stuff for Jenny before everyone shows up."

Steve nodded. "Sounds good to me," he responded. He was looking forward to getting the furniture stuff out of the way as soon as possible. The way he saw it, the sooner that Jennifer had her own room in the house, the sooner it'd feel like a home for her.

"I hope you have some ideas on where to go for this stuff," Steve went on. "Because I have no idea where to start." Steve had absolutely no problems with tactical planning in the field, even when lives were on the line. But ask him to shop for his three year old daughter and he was clueless.

"Don't worry," Danny replied as he plated eggs for all three of them. "I scouted out some places online last night."

"Really?" Steve asked as Danny made his way to the coffee maker.

For the second time that morning, Steve thought he saw Danny blush.

Danny shrugged. "I know you feel better when you've got a plan." Bringing two coffees with him, Danny finally sat down at the counter with Steve and Jennifer.

Inexplicably touched at Danny's thoughtfulness, Steve replied with a soft, "Thanks, Danno."

Finally meeting Steve's eyes, Danny replied just as softly, "You're welcome."

"Thanks, Danno," Jenny intoned, clearly not sure what the adults were talking about but wanting to participate anyway.

Moment broken, Danny looked away from Steve and toward the toddler, smiling. "You're welcome, munchkin."

Silence descended as the trio dug into their food. Steve was having trouble eating with Jennifer in his lap but, true to form, Danny finished his eggs quickly and transferred the toddler to his own lap so that Steve could eat.

Now free to eat, Steve finished quickly and gathered the plates, taking them to the sink. "I can get those, babe," Danny offered.

"Nah, I got it," Steve responded as he began washing the dishes. "Besides," he added, turning to smile at Danny, "The cook doesn't clean."

"Yeah, Danno. The cook doesn't clean," Jennifer parotted with a smile.

Danny smiled at the pair. "In that case, why don't Jen and I go pick out an outfit for today," he suggested, talking more to Jennifer than Steve.

"I'll join you two in a second," Steve called after the pair as they walked into the living room. He couldn't help but smile to himself. Spending the morning with Danny and Jennifer made him feel happy. Happy in a way he couldn't remember feeling. Not since his mother died. Five-0 was his ohana, his family, but this morning felt like more than that.

Steve's smile slipped from his face, however, as he realized how ridiculous he was being. Danny was just helping out a friend in need. Steve knew that Danny cared about him. But, as Steve was beginning to realize, his own feelings ran deeper than friendship. He couldn't let himself get caught up in some sort of white picket fence fantasy.

Shaking his head to clear it, Steve left the kitchen in search of his daughter.

Danny watched as Jennifer looked over her outfit choices for the day. Danny couldn't help but notice that there wasn't a lot to choose from. They'd have to get some more while they were out today.

Finally, Jennifer approached Danny with a blue shirt and a pair of overalls.

"Can I wear this, Danno?" she asked.

Danny crouched down and took the offered clothes. "Of course you can," he answered. "But are you sure you don't want to wear one of your pretty dresses?"

Jennifer shook her head, "I not like dresses. They no fun to play in," she replied. "Dat okay?"

Before Danny could answer, Steve strode into the room. "Of course it is," he answered, stealing the words from Danny's mouth.

"Yeah, Jenny," Danny added, ruffling Jennifer's hair, "We'll get you some more clothes while we're out today."

Jennifer looked mildly confused at that. "Out?" she asked.

"That's right, princess," Steve responded, picking her up. "We're going to get you some stuff so you can have your own room here."

Jennifer positively beamed at him. "Weally?!" she asked excitedly.

"Yes, really, sweetheart," Steve replied.

Danny smiled at the father-daughter duo. "You two better get dressed if we're going to go soon," Danny chimed in, noting that Steve was also still in his pajamas.

Steve nodded in response. "Come on, little lady," he said to the toddler with a smile. "Let's go get pretty for Danno."

"Silly Daddy," Jennifer laughed as Steve turned towards the stairs. "Unca Danno already thinks we pwetty."

Danny knew he wasn't imagining the blush he saw make its way up the back of Steve's neck. Deciding not to read anything into it, Danny turned and made himself busy picking Jennifer's discarded clothes up off the floor.

Even being a total novice at getting a three year old ready in the morning, Danny was surprised that Steve had them both ready to go in a mere fifteen minutes. If Jennifer's pig tails were a little wonky, who was Danny to criticize? He'd been there.

"I took the car seat out of the Camaro," Danny explained as the trio made their way out of the house. "I figured your truck would be the smarter choice today."

Steve nodded his agreement as he locked the door behind them. "Good thinking," Steve replied, keeping a firm grip on Jennifer's hand. "We can put it back in the Camaro when we get back," he said absently.

Danny smiled at that. emMakes sense,/em he thought as he followed Steve to the truck. He didn't have far to go, though, as he plowed into Steve's back.

"Oof," he grumbled as he stepped back from the SEAL's delightfully muscled back. emStop it, Danno!/em

"What's up?" he asked as Steve turned towards him, hand still holding Jennifer's. Danny was surprised to see that Steve looked… embarrassed?

"I just… I'm sorry. There's no reason for me to assume that the car seat should go in your car," he replied, not quite meeting Danny's eyes.

"Yes there is," Danny replied simply. Glancing down at Jennifer, he found that the little girl was looking between the two adults, probably trying to figure out what was going on.

When Steve still wouldn't quite meet his eyes, Danny went on. "Babe, we're in my car ninety percent of the time." Steve finally looked up at that. "It makes total sense to me that there be a car seat in my car."

"You sure?" Steve asked.

Danny smiled and clapped Steve on the shoulder. "Yeah, babe," he responded before taking Jennifer's hand from Steve and moving towards the truck.

"Now let's see if the Navy SEAL can figure out how to install a car seat," Danny teased.

"You can do it, Daddy!" Jennifer cheered.

Steve chuckled as he moved towards the duo and picked the car seat up. "How hard could it be?" he asked, looking over the contraption.

Despite his silence on the matter, Steve knew that Danny was secretly amused that it'd taken him thirty minutes to install the car seat. In his defense, he'd diffused bombs with less moving parts. Still, he was glad that Danny had only helped a little bit. He appreciated the help, but he also wanted to be able to do these things for Jennifer on his own.

"So I think our first stop should be the furniture store," Danny suggested from the passenger seat.

"Sounds good to me," Steve responded, perfectly at ease leaving the planning up to Danny. "Where to?" he asked, turning out of their neighborhood.

"It's down off of Kapiolani Boulevard," Danny said, checking his phone to confirm. "Rachel says it's got a really good selection."

Steve tried not to visibly bristle at the mention of Danny's ex. "You talked to Rachel?" Steve asked in what he hoped was a casual tone.

"Yeah, I called her last night," Danny replied absently, still looking at his phone.

Steve nodded even though Danny wasn't paying attention to him. Despite Danny's statements to the contrary, Steve couldn't help but feel a little jealous when it came to him and Rachel. She was the mother of his child and that made her a permanent fixture in his life. That was fine with Steve. As far as he was concerned, parents emshould/em be a permanent fixture in their kids' lives.

But he couldn't help the niggling fear that Danny still carried a torch for Rachel. The months when they'd been having their affair were some of his worst in recent memory. Even with their relationship long over, Steve feared that he would always feel a twinge of jealousy whenever it came to Danny and Rachel.

"I figured we could tell her this weekend," Danny's voice cut into Steve's maudlin thoughts.

"Huh?" Steve murmured. "What?" he asked, turning his head to glance at his partner.

"Were you listening to anything I just said?" Danny asked with no real heat behind his voice.

Steve smiled. One thing he could always count on were their arguments. "I emmay/em have tuned you out towards the beginning there," Steve admitted.

He knew without looking the face that Danny was giving him right now. It was the 'I can't believe I put up with you' face. Smiling, Steve turned onto Kapiolani Boulevard.

"Daddy, you should listen with your ears," Jennifer said wisely from her seat in the back.

Danny turned to face her, a big smile on his face. "That's right, munchkin!" he praised. "Your daddy needs to use his listening ears."

"Do emnot/em turn my daughter against me," Steve chided, the laugh evident in his voice.

"No promises, babe," Danny replied, turning back into his seat.

As they approached the store, Steve glanced over at Danny once more. "What were you saying, Danny?" he asked.

"Oh, so emnow/em you're interested!" Danny exclaimed, though not as loud as he usually would, mindful of the toddler.

"I'm always interested in what you say," Steve replied without thinking. emShit/em, Steve thought as he pulled into the store's parking lot. emDid I really just fucking say that?!/em

Thankfully, Danny's voice put an end to his internal panic. "I said," Danny replied, "that I have Grace next weekend and I was thinking of bringing her over to your place to introduce her to Jen," he suggested.

Steve grinned. "You know I love it when you and Grace come over," he replied. "Sounds like a plan."

"Who Grace?" Jennifer asked as Steve shut off the truck.

Danny once again turned in his seat to face the toddler. "Grace is my daughter," he replied simply.

"You a daddy, Danno?" Jennifer asked.

"I sure am," Danny replied with a smile.

Rather than respond, Jennifer's face screwed up into one of confusion and she didn't say anything more on the subject.

Danny and Steve shared a quick look of concern over the toddler's sudden silence. Steve was about to say something when Danny reached across the console to put a hand on Steve's arm.

'Later,' he mouthed before turning in his seat to open his door. Steve nodded his understanding.

"Okay," Steve said, clapping his hands together and ending the silence, "Shall we?" he asked, opening the door and stepping out of the truck.

Opening the back door, Steve made quick work of getting Jennifer out of her car seat.

Smiling, Steve carried Jennifer around the back of the truck where Danny was waiting for them.

"Ready to go?" he asked the duo.

"Yep!" Jennifer answered for the two of them.

To say that Steve had a grueling morning would be putting it lightly.

After a Jennifer-approved bed was picked out and loaded into the pickup, the trio headed to Bed Bath & Beyond where Jennifer picked out a number of different bedding sets. Her choices ranged from princesses to dolphins. While Steve questioned the need for so many sets, Danny looked on, amused, all the while assuring him that multiple sets were necessary.

Finally, they made their way to Target for any other odds and ends they might need from a booster seat to clothing to the toys that Jennifer talked them into getting.

When they finally made it home, it was almost eleven, Steve was exhausted and Jennifer was cranky.

"Daddy, I no wanna go to sweep!" she yelled when Steve suggested that she take a nap.

Steve gave a sigh bordering on exasperation. "I know you don't, sweetie, but we've got a big afternoon ahead and you'll need your energy," he tried to explain.

"But I don't wanna!" she shouted, stomping a foot and putting her hands on her hips.

If his partner wasn't close to his own personal meltdown, Danny would have found this whole situation funny. As it was, he could tell that Steve was barely holding it together. Wanting to diffuse the situation before it escalated, Danny decided to step in.

Sinking down to Jennifer's level, he spoke calmly. "We know you're not sleepy, Jen. But how about we snuggle up in your daddy's bed anyway and I'll tell you a story?" he suggested.

Jennifer looked intrigued at that. "A story?" she asked.

"Yeah," Danny responded, "It's a really special story."

Jennifer thought for a second before responding with a quiet, "Okay," before turning and climbing the stairs towards Steve's room.

"A really special story?" Steve asked mockingly as he made to follow the girl.

Danny noted that, though he was smiling, Steve looked dead on his feet. "Just get upstairs," Danny grouched good naturedly. "The sooner she's out, the sooner we can start on lunch."

Steve nodded as he entered his bedroom to find Jennifer already sitting against the headboard, right in the middle of the bed.

"Daddy!" Jennifer greeted, "Unca Danno gonna tell us a story!" she informed him excitedly.

"I know!" Steve enthused right back as he climbed into bed and sat on Jennifer's right, leaving the spot on Jennifer's left open for Danny.

Danny hesitated for a moment before following Steve's example and climbing onto the bed. emIt's just to get Jennifer to sleep,/em he told himself as leaned back against the headboard, getting comfortable.

"Well this is cozy," Danny remarked.

"So, let's hear your story, Danno," Steve said once everyone was settled. Danny glanced over and was relieved to see that Steve was smiling, though tiredly.

"Yeah, Danno, story!" Jennifer added, seemingly content as can be between the two men. Danny grinned in response and began his tale.

"Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom, there was a handsome knight named Sir Daniel," Danny began, ignoring Steve's snort of amusement.

"Now, Sir Daniel had a very important job to do. His job was to protect the people of the kingdom from the bad guys."

"Bad guys?" Jennifer asked worriedly, burrowing further under the covers.

"Don't worry, munchkin, Sir Daniel was very good at stopping them and protecting little ladies like you," Danny replied, bopping Jennifer on the nose in emphasis.

The toddler grinned tiredly in response.

"One day," Danny continued, "the queen gave Sir Daniel an impossible task - slay the dragon that had invaded the kingdom! Our knight didn't think he could do it alone, but he didn't have a partner, so he had no choice."

"He was all alone?" Jennifer murmured, snuggling into her dad's side.

"Not completely," Danny replied, smiling as his partner wrapped a comforting arm around the toddler. "He had his family and a few friends, but nobody to help him on his quest to slay the dragon. That all changed when he met the ogre."

"Ogre a bad guy?" Jennifer asked sleepily.

A glance at Steve told Danny all he needed to know about his friend's feelings at being called an ogre - he had a huge smile on his face. Returning the smile, Danny continued his story.

"No, the ogre was a good guy, but Sir Daniel didn't see that at first. You see, the ogre was looking for the dragon too so the queen ordered them to work together."

"They be fwends?" she slurred, almost completely asleep at this point. Before Danny could continue, Steve picked up the story.

"They became more than friends, sweetheart," Steve murmured, looking resolutely at his daughter, as if purposefully avoiding Danny's gaze. "They became partners."

Danny didn't dare take his eyes off of Steve, despite the SEAL's refusal to look at him as he spoke, "Together, Sir Daniel and the handsome ogre fought and slayed the dragon, making the kingdom safe once again."

"Handsome ogre, huh?" Danny joked, finally succeeding in getting Steve to look back at him.

Steve scoffed, being careful not to jostle Jennifer too much. "You saying I'm not?" he joked right back.

Fighting back his blush at the thought, Danny deftly avoided the question by getting gently off the bed. "I'm gonna go get ready for the team," he responded instead.

"Here, I'll help you," Steve started, trying to extricate himself from the sleeping girl curled around his abdomen.

Danny surprised even himself when he placed a hand in the middle of Steve's chest and pushed him back into the bed. "I've got it," he murmured before finally, reluctantly, removing his hand. "Stay with Jenny," he added softly.

"But-"

"Get some sleep, babe," he murmured before quietly leaving the room and making his way down the stairs.

Steve sat in silence as Danny walked out of the bedroom. He was still sitting there when the unmistakable sounds of Danny bringing in their many purchases drifted up the stairs. Any other day and Steve would have gone down to help. But that moment found Steve incapacitated by his sleeping daughter.

To be honest, Steve was glad that Danny had given him this time to himself. Not only was he exhausted, but he needed to get his thoughts in order before rejoining the his partner downstairs. With all the help that Danny was giving him with Jennifer, it was getting harder and harder for Steve to ignore the feelings he harbored towards Danny. Steve wouldn't soon forget the feeling of having him in his bed, telling his daughter a story. It had reminded Steve of his own childhood, when his mom would gather he and Mary close and tell them stories when it was time to sleep. It was a feeling that Steve associated with family.

While Danny may not be his family in the traditional sense, or in the way that Steve truly wanted him to be, but he was his family nonetheless. He and the rest of the Five-0 team.

Smiling, Steve let his mind wander towards his Five-0 ohana and what they would think of Jennifer. Danny was right in saying that Steve would need them now more than ever, and that he could count on them. They'd had each others backs since day one. This wouldn't be any different. emBut what will adding another child to the mix do to the team?/em he wondered as he let his eyes slip closed.

Rather than feel anxious about introducing Jennifer to the team, he found himself excited. After all, it wasn't that long ago that he was completely alone in the world. Now he has a team he can count on and, most importantly, a daughter to take care of. He honestly couldn't wait for the two most important aspects of his life to come together.

With those thoughts on his mind Steve, allowed himself to drift off into a peaceful sleep.


End file.
